Jewish terror suspect convicted

HAIFA – The Haifa District Court on Sunday convicted 23-year-old Alexander Rabinovitch of aiding and abetting murder and obtaining weapons for criminal purposes.

Rabinovitch was convicted of obtaining explosive material and bullets for one Eliran Golan, now suspected of planning Arab Israeli citizens, including Knesset Member Issam Makhoul.

They planned to send letter bombs, and to plant car bombs near Arab cars. They were also charged with plotting to plow up a Haifa church.

Served in IDF at the time

The story began when Golan was arrested in March, 2004 on suspicion he was planning to murder Arab public figures in Haifa. At the same time, several other suspects were arrested, some of them freed following investigation. But Rabinovitch, who has known Golan since they were in grade school, was arrested and charged with aiding Golan.

Rabinovitch served in the IDF during the alleged affair and is suspected of helping Golan obtain explosives to "take action."

According to the indictment, Rabinovitch is charged with being an accomplice to murder and conspiracy to commit a crime.

The prosecution says Rabinovitch supplied Golan with explosives and rifle bullets, knowing the latter planned to use them to hurt or kill Arabs, who he said gave support to terrorism.